Spring-vehicle.



R. LIEBAU.

SPRING VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1910.

Patented May 14, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES:

R. LIEBAU.

SPRING VEHICLE.

Patented May 14, 1912.

5 BHEETB-SHEET 2.

D I x 1 I I I I I! II I "I I I I I WI T/VESSE S:

INVENTOR M d W m I M ATTORNEY R. LIBBAU.

SPRING VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1910.

5 SHEETSSHEBT a.

Patented May 14 III/4 INVENTOB WITNESSES.-

ATTORNEY R. LIEBAU.

SPRING VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1910.

Patented May 14, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES: l/VVE/VTUH I M LQ W 6; M ATTORNEY R. LIEBAU.

SPRING VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1910.

Patented May 14, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEBT 5.

WITNESSES:

y E N M T T n /Z RICHARD LIEBAU, OF WATERVLIET, NEW YORK.

SPRING-VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1912.

Application filed July 27, 1910. Serial No. 574,160.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, RICHARD LIEBAU, a citizen of the United States, andresident of \Vatervliet, in the county of Albany and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating toSpring-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to vehicles comprising running gear, a body or loadplatform, interposed means for affording elastic support for the latter,and additional means maintaining operative running position of therunning gear with respect to the body of the vehicle and the directionof movement, while permitting all of the relative vertical movementsnecessary for practical elastic cushion support of the body of thevehicle.

It relates more particularly to devices of the above class in which theelastic load supporting devices afiord vertical support only and are notintended to withstand lat eral thrust or strain.

The relative movements that are to be limited or prevented by thelinkages are fore and aft and lateral movements of the axle and alsofore and aft rocking thereof. The movements to be permitted are relativevertical movements of the axle, both where such relative verticalmovement is equal for both ends of the axle, so that the lattermaintains its normal parallelism with the plane of the load platform ofthe vehicle, and also where such relative vertical movement is greater,or different in direction, at one end of the axle, from the movement atthe other end thereof, so as to produce an endwise tilt of the axle withrespect to the car body frame. The linkages employed to prevent fore andaft displacements are usually arranged in pairs with their pivotal axesin alinement, one link being secured adjacent each end of an axle, andfrom such location it results that endwisevtilt of the axle involves adifferential angularrelation of the links at the two ends of such axle,such differential angular relation tending to produce a longitudinaltorsion or twist upon each link and also tending to produce differentialcircular movements of the links with respect to the axle as an axis.

It may be noted that the present invention is not concerned'with meansfor. preventing or limiting bodily lateral movements of the axlerelative to the car body; and no means of this kind is shown in theaccompanying drawings. But any of the cross-link or turn-tablearrangements shown in my co-pending applications, for example, SerialNumber 468,762, filed December 22, 1908, or Serial Number 540,806, filedJanuary 29, 1910, or indeed any other suitable mechanisms having a likefunction, may be used in conjunction with the constructions herein shownand claimed.

The main general object of the present invention is to improve,correlatively and also with relation to the vehicle as' a whole, theinstrumentalities that perform the complementary functions ofelastically supporting the weight of the car body on the wheels andofimparting forward travel from the wheels to the car body and vice-versa.The latter instrumentalities are the means for preventing fore and aftbodily movement of the axles relative to the body, and may or may not before and aft rock preventers.

The springs used in this invention for elastically supporting the weightof the load platform and the parts carried thereby on the wheels arepreferably of the telescopic pneumatic cylinder type, such, for example,as shown in my co-pending application above-mentioned, Serial Number468,762, filed December 22, 1908. As already stated, such devicesdischarge their functions to best effectwhen they act solely ascompression members, and are subjected to no'lateral stresses. In theapplication above referred to, the pneumatic springs are arranged at aconsiderable height, being supported at their upper ends by overhangingbrackets that extendfrom the side members of the load platform. For manyreasons it is very desirable to lower the springs, both with a view tobettering the performance of these devices and also to rendering themmore harmonious elements of the complete design of the car. siderationis that if the spring cylinders, be lowered entirely below the loadplatform, they may be located in the vertical plane of the longitudinalaxes of the side bars of the vehicle frame to which their upper ends are105 connected, thus eliminating the necessity for upward projectingbrackets and rendering unnecessary any material modification of theseside bars. An advantage of so disposing the springs that the points ofappli- 110 One very material conavoided, and other advantages accrue.

fact, this relative arrangement of the radius cation of the weight ofthe car body thereto is in the vertical plane of the side bars is theelimination of the torsional stresses on the side bars which are presentwhen the spring cylinders are located at one side of the bars. The lowerend of the spring is preferably secured to a special lever link thatsustains none of the fore and aft driving stresses and resistances ofthe vehicle, such stresses being taken care of by radius bars or linkseither of usual or special construction. The special lever link issuspended below the axle, and connected at opposite ends with the loadplatform and the running gear in such manner as to allow for therelative fore and aft component of link, radius bar and axle movements.The spring is interposed between the load platform and the linkintermediate the ends of the link. By reason of the lever link beingunderslung beneath the axle, the entire spring, is lowered and bypositioning the spring intermediate the axle and the pivotal connectionof the link to the load platform, the extent of compression of thespring for a given vertical throw or depression is proportionatelyreduced, whence the length of the spring may be reduced, thereby makingpossible a further lowering of the upper end of the spring.

In the preferred forms of the invention, the radius link and the leverlink extend in opposite directions from the axle, and the lever link ispivoted directly or indirectly to one of the usual forward or rear hornsof the car frame. In this way difficulties as to interference betweenthe spring and the radius link are completely and simpIly n link and thespring compressing lever link is regarded as a broadly novel phase ofthis invention. Preferably, the axles are of the drop model, which tendto stability with respect to fore and aft rocking of the axle due todriving and road stresses, and this tendency to stability is furtherincreased in the present case by having the load under-slung below theaxle.

While it is advantageous for various reasons to have the lever link thusunder-slung below the axle, it may not be advantageous to have theradius links so arranged and it is usually preferable to connect theradius links to the axles at or about the level of the centers of thewheels. In view of this consideration it is best to make the radiuslinks and the spring-compressing lever links distinct; and a furtherconsideration is that it is desirable to make the radius links laterallyresilient so as to accommodate them to torsional stresses, whereas it isbestto have the lever supports for the pneumatic cylinders rigid links.The utilization of spring-compressing lever links distinct F from thelinkage that transmits the running i stresses from the wheels to thevehicle body and vice versa is regarded a broadly novel phase of thepresent invention.

The fore and aft rocking of the axle, here inbefore referred to as oneof the movements which it is desirable to prevent, may be taken care ofeither by the radius link or by the lever link.

A further object of the invention is to provide suitable means forsecuring the upper end of the spring to the side member of the loadplatform, and in such manner as to admit of universal angular movement.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings by certain ofthe possible embodiments thereof, and in the said drawings,

Figure l is a side view, partially in dotted outline, of the forwardpart of an automobile, showing my invention applied with reference tothe front axle; Fig. 2 is a similar view taken from the other side ofthe car; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the lever link shown in Figs. 1and 2; Fig. 4 is a section on the line a a of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detailinner side view of the parts shown in Fig. 4:; Fig. 6 is a view similarin nature to Fig. 1, but showing the invention in a somewhat difi'erentembodiment and applied to the rear axle of a car; Fig. 7 is a similarview showing a different embodiment of the invention applied to thefront other embodiment of the invention applied to the rear axle.

In the several views, the numeral 10 indicates a side member of the loadplatform of the vehicle, 11 the front axle, 12 the rear axle, both axlesbeing preferably of the drop variety, and 13 a pneumatic spring,comprising upper and lower telescopic cylinders 14 and 15.

16 and 17 are usual front and rear horns of the side members 10 of thecar frame. These horns may be of usual or preferred form.

In Figs. 1 and 2, radius links 18, located adjacent the opposite ends ofthe front axle, are pivoted at their rear ends to the car body, as at19, on depending brackets or castings 20 bolted to the side members 10,and the front end of one of the two links is secured rigidly to theaxle, preferably at or about the level of the wheel axis. In order toprovide for torsional twisting of these radius links due to endwisetilting of the axles, I prefer to make them in the nature of strongspring blades, rigid vertically but yieldable laterally, and to allowfor the differential movement of the forward ends of the links about theaxle as an axis also dueto the endwise tilting, I prefer to connect theforward end of one of the links with the axle by means of cylindrical oraxle; Fig. 8 is a similar view showing an-' spherical bearing andjournal surfaces 50, as shown in Fig. 2, and all in accordance with thearrangements shown more particularly in my co-pending application filedJanuary 29, 1910, Serial Number 540,809. The axle swings about thecenter 19, and rocking thereof is prevented by having the other radiuslink 18, secured thereto rigidly. The lever links 21, one adjacent eachend of the axle, are swung below the dropped portion of the axle. Inthis form of the invention, the rear end of each lever link is pivotedto the axle, at 22, as by means of a bracket 23 depending from the axle.The link preferably has a substantially hori zontal portion adjacent theaxle, and then curves forward and upward. The upper end of the leverlink is pivotally connected to the forward horn 16, by means of a shortswinging link 24, which is pivoted at its upper end. at 25, to the hornand at its lower end, at 26, to the lever link. As a matter of fact,there are preferably two of these swinging links, at opposite sides ofthe horn and lever link, as shown in Fig. 3. The swinging link 24 allowsof fore and aft movement of the lever link 21 relative to the car body,made necessary by the fact that the axle swings boutthe center 19.Preferably, the lever links 21 are rigid, both laterally and vertically,and the torsional effect on the lever links due to the endwise tilti'gof the axle is sufficiently taken up by the looseness or play at thethree pivotal joints 22, 25 and 26. The upper cylinder 14 of the springis connected to the side bar of the car body, as indicated at 27, and tothe horizontal portion of the lever link 21, as indicated at 28.Preferably. both connections permit of universal angular movement.

Fig. 6 corresponds to the form of device shown in Figs. 1 and 2,"withthe exception that the lever link 21 is pivoted directly to the born, at29, while the swinging link 2t is interposed between the axle and thelever link, being pivotally connected thereto at 30 and 31,respectively.

In Fig. 7, the lever link 21 is pivoted directly to the horn, at 29, asin the case of the last form of the invention, and fore and aft movementof the lever link relative to the axle is permitted to a cylindricalportion 51 that slides in a cylindrical sleeve 52,

pivoted at to and beneath the axle. These cot'iperating sliding surfacesare made cylindrical to prevent torsional twisting of the preferablyrigid lever link 21.

It will be understood that in both forms of the invention shown in Figs.6 and 7, the' In Fig. 8 is shown the usual radius rod 18, which islocated ad aeent each end of the rear axle in double chain drivevehicles.

In the forms of the invention so far discussed. the radius link has beenthe rockpreveutcr, but here. since the radius rod is pivotally connectedat both ends, at one end to he car body as shown at and at the other endto the axle, at the level of the wheel center, as shown at 3-1, itfollows that. the function of rock-preventing must be delegated to thelever links 21. These links are pivoted at their rear ends directly tothe rear horns 17, as shown at 85, and at their forward ends areprovided with cylindrical portions 51 sliding in cylindrical sleeves 52,as in the last form of the invention. But here only one of the sleeves52 has the pivotal connection 32 with the axle shown in Fig. 7. Theother sleeve 82 is rigid with the axle as shown in this Fig. 8, so thatthe corresponding lever link may act as a rockpreveuter. The pivot 32 atthe other side of the car (not shown) allows for the dif ferentialangular relation between the ends of the two lever links and the axlewhen endwise tilt of the axle occurs. The differential movements of theradius rods 18 about the axle at. such times is provided for by thepivots 8-1 Thetorsional stress on the radius rods may be provided for asis customary in such devices by the usual turnbuckle connections betweenseparate sections of the rod.

In all the forms of the invention the lower cylinder 14 of the spring isconnected by the universal joint 28, which may consist of two pivots atright angles to each other, preferably to a recessed portion 36 of thelever link. These lever links are preferably either ,castings or dropforgings, and this recessed region may be formed by offsetting outwardopposite portions of the sides of the link and providing the cavitytherebetween.

The preferred form and arrangement of the upper universal joint 27 isshown more particularly in Figs. 4; and An opening 37 is formedtransversely through the side member 10 of the car frame, which ispreferably in the nature of a channel iron, to permit the passage of atransverse connection 38 to the bifurcated bracket 39 formed on top ofthe upper cylinder 14 of the spring. Such connection is preferably,though not necessarily, in the form of a. bolt or pin. which ispreferably locked to the bracket 39 by means of a split pin 40. Theuniversal joint is of the ball and socket variety, and the ball 41 maybe fixed on the bolt 38, or slidable or rotatable thereon, or bothslidable and rotatable. It may be separated from the bearim projectionsof the bracket 39 by means of spacing sleeves 42, if desired. The socketis formed in filling pieces 43 and 44 inserted in the channel of theiron 10. These pieces are transversely apertured in registry with theopening 37. The filling piece 43 is first inserted, in the assembling ofthe joint, the ball placed thereagainst, and the locking or face piece44 is then placed over the piece 43 and the ball. The parts are thensecured together by bolts 45 that pass through the pieces 43 and 44 andthe vertical wall of the channel iron 10, the heads of the bolts beingpreferably located outside this vertical wall and the nuts 46 beingpreferably at the inner side of the face plate 44, on the inside of theframe where they are more concealed and better protected. The face piece44 prefeably has its socket portion formed in an annular boss 47, theremainder of the face of this piece being plain, so that. adequate seatsfor the nuts are afforded. It will, thus, be seen that the springs areconnected to tlle side members of the load platform in the horizontalplane thereof. Moreover, the point of application of the load to thespring is in the vertical plane of the frame member as well, whence itfollows that there is practically no tendency toward sidewise tilt onthe part of the springs. In other words, the springs are locatedsubstantially in the vertical plane of the side members of the carframe, and this without the necessity of modifying the side membersother than by forming the openings 37 therein and securing the fillingpieces 43 and 44 in the channels.

lVhile I have herein shown and described, and have pointed out in theappended claims certain novel features of construction, arangement, andoperation which characterize my invention, it will be understood bythose skilled in the art that various omissions, substitutions, andchanges in the forms, proportions, sizes and details of the device andof its operation may be made without departing from my invention.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle, the combination with a body and running gear, andrunning-stresstransmitting linkage interposed between the two andcomprising radius links, of lever links distinct. from said linkage,being connected to the bodyand the running gear, one of said connectionsof each lever link being adapted to permit of the relative fore and aftcomponent of link movement, and bodysupporting pneumatic cylindersmounted at their lower ends on said lever links.

2. In a vehicle, the combination with a body and running gear, andrunning-stresstransmitting linkage interposed between the two andcomprisingradius links, of lever links distinct from said linkage, beingconnected adjacent their oppositecnds to the body and the axles, one ofsaid connect-ions of each lever link being adapted to permit of therelative fore and aft component of link movement, and body-supportingpneumatic cylinders pivotally connected attheir lower ends to said leverlinks intermediate the connections of the latter with the body and theaxle.

In a vehicle, the combination with a body and running gear, andrunning-stresstransmitting linkage interposed. between the two, ofinterposed lever links distinct from said linkage and swung below theaxles, and bodv-supporting springs connected to the lever linksintermediate their connections with the body and running gear.

4. In a. vehicle, the combination with a body and running gear includingan axle, and radius links connecting the body and axle, of lever linksdistinct from said radius links and connected to the body and 'runninggear in such manner as to permit of the relative fore and aftcomponentoflink movement, said lever links being swung be-- low said axle, andbody-supporting springs connected to the lever links intermediate theirconnections with the body and running gear.

5. In a vehicle,tbe combination with a body and an axle, of a pair ofradius links connecting the body and axle adjacent the ends of thelatter, a pair of lever links dis tinct from said radius links connectedadjacent their opposite ends to the body and said axle, the connectionswith the axle being adjacent the ends thereof, said lever links beingswung below said axle, and body-supporting springs connected to thelever links intermediate the connections of the latter with the body andaxle.

6. In a'vehicle, the combination With a body and running gear includingan axle, of running-stress-transmitting linkage including radius linksconnecting the body and axle, lever links distinct from said linkage andextending at the opposite side of said axle from said radius links, saidlever links being connected to said body and running gear in such manneras to permit of the relative fore and aft component of link movement andbeing swung below the axle, and body-supporting springs connected to thelever links intermediate their connections with the body and runninggear.

7. In a vehicle, the combination with a body having side barsterminating in horns, and running gear including an axle, ofrunning-stress-transmitting linkage including radius links connectingthe body and axle and extending from the axle away from said horns,lever links distinct from said linkage and extending at the oppositeside of said axle from said radius links, being pivotally connected atthe outer ends with the ends of said horns and connected adjacent theirinner ends to and below said axle, and body-supporting springs connectedto the lever links intermediate their connec tions with the horns andaxle.

8. In a vehicle, the combination with a" body and running gear includingan axle, of running-stresstransmitting linkage including a pair ofradius links connecting the body and the axle adjacent the ends of thelatter, a pair of lever links distinct from said linkage, locatedadjacent the ends of said axle and extending at the opposite sidethereof from said radius links, said lever links being connectedadjacent their opposite ends to the body and said axle in such manner asto permit of the relative fore and aft component of link movement, andpneumatic cylinder supports for supporting the body on the running gearmounted at their lower ends on the lever links intermediate theconnections of the latter wit-h the body and axle.

9. In a vehicle, the combination with a body frame having side barsterminating in horns, and running gear including an axle, ofrunning-stress-transmitting linkage including radius links connectingthe body frame and axle and extending from the axle away from saidhorns, lever links distinct from said linkage, being pivotally connectedat their outer ends with the ends of said horns and connected adjacenttheir inner ends to the running gear, one of theconnections of each ofsaid lever links permitting of the relative fore and aft component oflink movement, and body-supporting pneumatic cylinders having lowersupports on said lever links intermediate the connections of the latterwith the horns and runninggear.

10. In a vehicle, the combination with a body having side barsterminating in horns, and running gear including an axle, ofrunning-stress-transmitting linkage including radius links connectingthe body and axle and extending from the axle away from said horns,lever links distinct from said linkage and extending at the oppositeside of said axle from said radius links, being connected at the innerends to the running gear below said axle and curved upward to pivotalconnections with the ends of said horns, and body supporting pneumaticcylinders having lower mountings on the lower portions of said leverlinks intermediate the connections of the latter with the running gearand with the body.

11. In a vehicle, the combination with a body and an axle, ofrunning-stress-transmitting linkage including a pair of laterallyresilient radius links connecting the body and -axle adjacent the endsof the latter, a pair of rigid lever links distinct from said linkageconnected adjacent their opposite ends to the body and running gear,said lever links being swung below said axle, and body-supportingpneumatic cylinders having lower connections with the lever links Itheir opposite ends .to the body and running gear, being swung below theaxle, and bodysupporting pneumatic cylinders having lower mountings onthe lever links intermediate the connections of the latter with the bodyand the running gear.

13. In a vehicle, the combination with a load platform and running gear,and run ning-stress-transmitting linkage interposed between the two, ofinterposed lever links distinct from said linkage and swung below theaxle, and pneumatic cylinder supports for the load platform, beingconnected at their lower ends to the lever links intermediate theconnections of the latter with the body and running gear, and havingpivotal connections at their upper ends with the sides of the loadplatform substantially in the horizontal plane thereof.

14. In a vehicle, the combination with a load platform and running gear,and running-stress-transmitting linkage interposed between the two, ofinterposed lever links distinct from said linkage and swung below theaxle, and pneumatic cylinder supports for the load platform, saidsupports being latter with the body and running gear, the

entirety of said cylinder supports being disposed below said loadplatform.

15. In a vehicle, the combination with a body and running gear includingan axle, and running-stress-transmitting linkage interposed between thetwo, of interposed lever links distinct from said linkage and swungbelow said axle, each of said lever links being pivotally connectedadjacent their opposite ends with the body and the running gear andbeing provided with means allowing relative fore and aft movement of oneof its ends as said axle swings about the center determined by saidrunning-stress-transmitting linkage, and bodysup'porting pneumaticsprings connected to the lever links intermediate their connections withthe body and the running gear.

16. In a vehicle, the combination with a body and running gear includingan axle, and radius links connecting the body and axle, said radiuslinks being pivoted to the body and one being rigidly connected to theaxle, of lever links distinct from said radius links and swung below theaxle, each of said lever links being pivotally connected adjacentopposite ends with the body and the running gear and being provided withmeans allowing relative fore and aft moveinent of one of its ends assaid axle swings about the center determined by said radius links, andbodysupporting pneumatic springs connected to the lever linksintermediate the connections of the latter with the body and the runninggear.

17. In a vehicle, the combination with a body and running gear, andrunning-stresstransmitting linkage interposed between the two, ofinterposed lever links distinct from said linkages and swung below theaxles, said lever links having pivoted connections adjacent theiropposite ends with the body and running gear, one of said pivotalconnections of each lever link being indirect and including a swinginglink, and body-supportig pneumatic cylinders connected to the leverlinks, intermediate their connections with the body and running gear.

Signed at East Pittsburgh in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania this 21st day of July A. D. 1910.

RICHARD LIEBAU.

Witnesses C. W. MOGHEE, E. W. McGALLIsTER.

